Jet adds Vortex Cone to dust collectors

Jet is incorporating its new and exclusive Vortex Cone into several of its dust-collection units. The Vortex Cone is a disk of sheet metal built in between the plastic chip collection bag and the canister of certain single-stage dust collectors. It greatly improves chip separation to prevent clogging of the filter and increases the packing efficiency of the collector bag, according to the company.

The Vortex Cone will be an optional feature in the Jet DC1100 CFM single-stage dust collection units and will be included in all of the company’s DC1200 CFM single-stage collectors.

“The Vortex manages the air flow in a much more beneficial way for the filter so that only fine particles move through the filter chamber. Single-stage collectors have a gaping hole through the center and [the Vortex] stops the barrage of particles coming through,” says Schwaiger.

He says the interior of a single-stage dust collector, while in use, produces a turbulent cyclone of air he describes as a “violent tornado” that thrusts debris directly up into the upper filter. When that happens, the upper canister can fill up with wood chips, ultimately affecting filter efficiency and requiring the clog to be removed. With the Vortex Cone, the lower bags can be packed more densely, lessening downtime and bag changes.

Jet collectors featuring the new Vortex Cone will have a VX added to their model codes, such as the DC1100VX and DC1200VX. Retrofit kits will not be available.

The DC1100VX series feature 115-volt, 1.5-hp motors, while the DC1200VX series have a 230-volt, 2-hp motor. Both series have canister filter models. The price range is $450 to $700.

Powermatic introduces the model PM2200 cyclone dust collector, featuring HEPA filtration and a 2-hp, 230-volt, single-phase motor that moves up to 1,543 cu. ft. of air per minute, according to the company.